Alt keys & navigation — Excel guide
Every button on the ribbon has a keyboard address, and every cell is one jump away. Learn the Alt system once and the mouse becomes optional.
How KeyTips work
Press and RELEASE Alt (or F10) — letter badges appear over every ribbon tab. Type a tab's letter and its buttons grow letters too; keep typing to fire a command. Sequences are written Alt+H, O, I: nothing is held down, you just type the letters in order. Esc backs up one level at a time. Bonus: most Excel 2003 menu accelerators still work as legacy aliases — Alt, I, R still inserts a row, Alt, E, S still opens Paste Special.
The tab letters
Nine letters unlock everything. Mostly mnemonic: H for Home, N for iNsert (new things), M for forMulas, A for dAta, W for vieW (window).
| Keys | Opens |
|---|---|
| Alt+F | File |
| Alt+H | Home |
| Alt+N | Insert |
| Alt+P | Page Layout |
| Alt+M | Formulas |
| Alt+A | Data |
| Alt+R | Review |
| Alt+W | View |
| Alt+Q | Search — type a command's name and run it |
Sequences that pay rent
The dozen worth hard-wiring. Each one traces its ribbon path — say it as you type it and it sticks.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt+H, O, I | AutoFit column width |
| Alt+H, O, A | AutoFit row height |
| Alt+H, V, V | Paste values only |
| Alt+H, B, A | All borders |
| Alt+H, M, C | Merge & Center |
| Alt+H, I, R / I, C | Insert row / column |
| Alt+H, D, R / D, C | Delete row / column |
| Alt+H, E, A | Clear all (contents + formats) |
| Alt+A, T | Toggle filter arrows |
| Alt+N, V, T | Create PivotTable |
| Alt+W, F, F | Freeze Panes |
Navigate anywhere
Beyond Ctrl+Arrow and Ctrl+Home (covered in the shortcuts guide) — the jumps that handle everything else.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Name Box | Type C500 or a named range, Enter — teleport, selected |
| Ctrl+Backspace | Scroll back to the active cell without moving it |
| Alt+PgDn / PgUp | One screen right / left |
| Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Next / previous workbook window |
| F6 / Shift+F6 | Cycle panes: grid → ribbon → status bar |
| Ctrl+[ | Jump to a formula's precedents (F5, Enter jumps back) |
| Ctrl+. | Walk the corners of the current selection |
Menus without a mouse
The last mile of mouse-free Excel. What's behind each tab letter is the ribbon guides' department — start with the Home tab.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift+F10 | Right-click context menu for the selection |
| Alt+Down | Open the cell's dropdown — filter, validation list |
| Ctrl+1 | Format Cells dialog |
| Alt+F4 | Close Excel (it will ask about unsaved work) |